Ubud has become one of Bali’s most exciting places to eat. Beyond its temples, rice terraces, and art galleries, the town is home to an impressive mix of restaurants, from humble family-run warungs and vibrant vegan cafés to refined fine dining and authentic Asian cuisine. If you’re looking for a quick local meal or a memorable dinner, the best restaurants in Ubud cater to every taste and budget.
This guide explores Ubud’s dining scene by category, making it easier to choose the right restaurant for every occasion. Alongside well-known local favourites and international dining destinations, you’ll also find Golden Monkey, a Cantonese restaurant in Bali that has become a popular choice for handmade dim sum, Chinese BBQ, and traditional Cantonese flavours in the heart of Ubud.
Ubud as Bali’s Food Capital
Ubud is famous as the island’s centre of art, dance and temple life. Over the years, it has become just as well known for its food as for its history. Wander Jalan Raya Ubud, Jalan Monkey Forest or out towards Sayan and Peliatan, and you pass family warungs, wellness cafes and valley-view fine diners within a few minutes of each other.
Part of the appeal is the setting. Many kitchens grow their own produce or source from nearby farms, and plenty of tables look out over rice terraces or jungle ravines. The food is good. The view is often unforgettable.
The Cantonese Standout on Jalan Dewi Sita
Ubud’s Asian dining is broad, but authentic Cantonese cooking is rare, and this is where Golden Monkey earns its place. Sitting on the walkable stretch of Jalan Dewi Sita, it brings the fresh, balanced style of Cantonese cuisine to the centre of town. The seasoning is light, the ingredients are fresh, and each dish allows its natural flavours to shine.
The handmade dim sum is the usual starting point, from plump Har Gow to Siu Mai and Xiao Long Bao, followed by the lacquered Peking Duck carved and wrapped at the table. The honey-glazed Char Siew Pork and crisp pork belly make a return visit worthwhile, and the group-friendly menu suits families and celebrations. As a Cantonese restaurant in Bali, Golden Monkey also runs a second, hot-pot-focused location in Sanur for anyone exploring the coast. To learn more about the Ubud restaurant, read our guide to the Cantonese restaurant in Ubud guests keep coming back to.
Balinese Flavours and Local Warungs
Start with the food Ubud has always done best. Babi guling, Bali’s spit-roasted suckling pig, is the dish to try first, and Warung Babi Guling Ibu Oka near the royal palace remains the name most visitors seek out. A plate arrives with crisp crackling, tender pork, rice, lawar and sambal. Arrive early for lunch, as the kitchen often sells out by mid-afternoon.
For duck, Bebek Bengil, known to many as the Dirty Duck, has served crisp Balinese duck beside the rice fields for decades and continues to draw a steady crowd. If you want the everyday Balinese plate that locals eat, a nasi campur at a neighbourhood spot such as Warung Teges in Peliatan gives you a little of everything, from vegetables and sate lilit to a spoon of fiery sambal.
These places are inexpensive, honest and quietly excellent. A full meal often costs less than a coffee back home.
Plant-Based Kitchens and Wellness Cafes
Ubud is one of Asia’s great destinations for plant-based food, and the standard is high enough that committed carnivores rarely notice the difference. Moksa, tucked among its own permaculture garden in Sayan, turns local produce into standout dishes, with a jackfruit rendang and smoky tempeh ribs that regulars return for.
Sayuri Healing Food leans into raw and cooked vegan cooking in a relaxed, bohemian setting near Peliatan. Alchemy, one of the town’s original plant-based names, is loved for its build-your-own salad bar and easy all-day menu. For comfort food and famously good desserts, Sage rewards the short walk off the main strip. Between them, these kitchens make vegetarian and vegan dining in Ubud a genuine pleasure rather than a compromise.
Refined International and Fine Dining
When the occasion calls for something grander, Ubud delivers at the highest level. Apéritif Restaurant, set within the Viceroy Bali, is the town’s fine dining benchmark, with a degustation menu and frequent guest collaborations that draw serious food lovers.
Planning Your Ubud Dining
A little planning goes a long way. Warungs are casual, cash-friendly and often walk-in, with most local plates under 50,000 rupiah. Mid-range restaurants sit roughly between 100,000 and 250,000 rupiah for a main. Fine dining degustation menus climb well beyond that. Prices are approximate and usually subject to applicable government taxes and service charges.
Book the fine diners a few days in advance, especially during high season. For babi guling, come early before it sells out, and note that slow-cooked bebek betutu often needs ordering a day in advance.
There is no strict dress code across most of the best restaurants in Ubud. Smart casual carries you almost everywhere, from a garden warung to a rooftop table. The exceptions are the top fine diners, where guests tend to dress up a little for the occasion. Getting around is easy, as the centre is walkable, and a Gojek scooter or car can reach Sayan and Peliatan in minutes.
Questions Guests Ask Before They Visit
What is the best restaurant in Ubud?
There is no single answer, because it depends on what you are in the mood for. For Balinese suckling pig, Ibu Oka is a classic. For plant-based food, Moksa is a standout. For fine dining, Apéritif Restaurant leads the way, and for authentic Cantonese cooking, Golden Monkey on Jalan Dewi Sita is a table many guests return to.
What is the highest rated restaurant in Bali?
Ratings change constantly across review platforms, so no single restaurant holds the top spot for long. Reading recent guest reviews on Google and TripAdvisor is the most reliable way to judge, and several Ubud venues consistently receive high ratings.
What is a must-eat in Bali?
Two Balinese classics top most lists, babi guling, the spit-roasted suckling pig, and bebek betutu, slow-cooked spiced duck. If you are seeking Cantonese flavours, the Peking Duck at Golden Monkey is a fine place to start.
What is famous in Ubud?
Ubud is famous as the cultural and artistic heart of Bali, known for the Sacred Monkey Forest, terraced rice fields, traditional dance, and art markets. Its dining scene, spanning warungs to fine dining, has become just as much of a draw.
What is the dress code for Ubud restaurants?
Ubud is relaxed, and smart casual dress is welcome almost everywhere. Only the top fine dining restaurants call for something dressier, and even then the mood stays comfortable rather than formal.
Where to Book First
One visit is rarely enough to experience everything Ubud’s dining scene has to offer. Spend your days exploring local warungs, relaxing over long lunches with rice terrace views, and discovering the restaurants that have helped shape the town’s reputation as one of Bali’s best food destinations.
When Cantonese cooking is what you are craving, Golden Monkey is ready to welcome you. Browse the Golden Monkey menu and reserve your table at a Cantonese restaurant in Bali worth making time for.
